The Prostate Disease Risk Assessment Test is a simple test that measures Prostate Specific Antigen in a whole blood sample.
The test is highly sensitive and can detect elevated levels of PSA within 15 minutes or less. The sensitivity of the test is 3ng/ml PSA. Values in excess of 3ng/ml will show as a positive result.
The test is not meant to replace full medical examination but to act as an indicator of risk. A positive test does not necessarily mean the presence of prostate cancer and all positive tests should be confirmed in a laboratory and by a physical examination.
Diagnosis of Prostate cancer can only be carried out by a medical examination and more specialised tests.
Ideally, PSA testing should be carried out regularly and compared to previous results so that a trend can be observed over a period of time.
What is PSA?
Prostate Specific antigen (PSA) is a protein originally found in semen, the fluid that carries sperm.
Normally, PSA is made in the cells of the prostate gland called epithelial cells.Epithelial cells make some of the semen that is produced at the time of sexual climax (orgasm)PSA helps to keep the semen in its liquid form.
Prostate Specific Antigen, or, PSA is an enzyme that is released into the bloodstream by both normal and cancerous prostate cells. Any condition that could cause injury or irritation to the prostate gland such as infection, (prostatitis) or non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, (BPH) can cause elevation of the PSA.
However, the possibility of cancer is higher with an elevated PSA. A PSA of above 3.0 ng/ml is usually considered elevated
Many studies confirm that the presence of PSA is the most useful and meaningful tumour marker known for prostate cancer and prostate disease.
Those at Risk?
In general, all men are at risk for prostate cancer, but there are specific risk factors that increase the likelihood that certain men will develop the disease. These include:
Age: especially men age 50 and older -- more than 75 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65.
Race: prostate cancer is nearly twice as common among African men than it is among white men.
Diet: studies suggest that men who eat a lot of fat have a greater chance of developing prostate cancer.
Family history of prostate cancer: having a father or brother with prostate cancer doubles a man's risk of developing this disease. The risk is even higher for men with several affected relatives -- particularly if the relatives were young at the time of diagnosis.
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